| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Anonymous. c. 1300 |
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| 2. Alison |
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| BYTUENE Mershe ant Averil | |
| When spray biginneth to spring, | |
| The lutel foul hath hire wyl | |
| On hyre lud to synge: | |
| Ich libbe in love-longinge | 5 |
| For semlokest of alle thynge, | |
| He may me blisse bringe, | |
| Icham in hire bandoun. | |
| An hendy hap ichabbe y-hent, | |
| Ichot from hevene it is me sent, | 10 |
| From alle wymmen my love is lent | |
| Ant lyht on Alisoun. | |
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| On heu hire her is fayr ynoh, | |
| Hire browe broune, hire eye blake; | |
| With lossum chere he on me loh; | 15 |
| With middel smal ant wel y-make; | |
| Bote he me wolle to hire take | |
| For to buen hire owen make, | |
| Long to lyven ichulle forsake | |
| Ant feye fallen adoun. | 20 |
| An hendy hap, etc. | |
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| Nihtes when I wende and wake, | |
| For-thi myn wonges waxeth won; | |
| Levedi, al for thine sake | |
| Longinge is y-lent me on. | 25 |
| In world his non so wyter mon | |
| That al hire bountè telle con; | |
| Hire swyre is whittore than the swon, | |
| Ant feyrest may in toune. | |
| An hendy hap, etc. | 30 |
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| Icham for wowyng al for-wake, | |
| Wery so water in wore; | |
| Lest eny reve me my make | |
| Ichabbe y-yerned yore. | |
| Betere is tholien whyle sore | 35 |
| Then mournen evermore. | |
| Geynest under gore, | |
| Herkne to my roun— | |
| An hendy hap, etc. | |
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GLOSS: on hyre lud] in her language. ich libbe] I live. semlokest] seemliest. he] she. bandoun] thraldom. hendy] gracious. y-hent] seized, enjoyed. ichot] I wot. lyht] alighted. hire her] her hair. lossum] lovesome. loh] laughed. bote he] unless she. buen] be. make] mate. feye] like to die. nihtes] at night. wende] turn. for-thi] on that account. wonges waxeth won] cheeks grow wan. levedi] lady. y-lent me on] arrived to me. so wyter mon] so wise a man. swyre] neck. may] maid. for-wake] worn out with vigils. so water in wore] as water in a weir. reve] rob. y-yerned yore] long been distressed. tholien] to endure. geynest under gore] comeliest under woman's apparel. roun] tale, lay. |
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